NGA

Nigeria spans different climatic and ecological zones and therefore occupies a unique geographic position in Africa. The diversity of the country’s natural ecosystems ranges from semi-arid savannah to mountain forests, rich seasonal floodplain environments, rainforests, vast freshwater swamp forests and diverse coastal vegetation. Nigeria’s Niger Delta contains the largest tract of mangrove in Africa. Variable climatic conditions and physical features have endowed Nigeria with some of the richest flora and fauna on the continent. However, there are issues with habitat destruction, which are linked to farming methods. Habitat losses in Nigeria have led to serious impacts on wildlife populations. To combat this, there are currently 1000 protected areas (PAs) in Nigeria, covering 13.93% of the land area. These PAs come under IUCN Management Categories: Ia, II and IV, and are governed through (sub) national ministry, transboundary, and local community governance. There are currently 5 potential Green List PA sites in Nigeria, one of which is a World Heritage Specially Protected Area, where there are enclaves for local Fulani pastoralists to exist within the park boundary that allow for farming and grazing. The purpose of the PAs are to protect wildlife, habitat and offer opportunity for ecotourism